This past week I had the opportunity to meet various business owners. Most of them were selling a product or service which was typical, but while all of them were approaching me I started to prejudge each of them before they even opened there mouth to present their product. Is this wrong of me or is this a natural human tendency? It appeared to me that this is just nature, but if you know this is natural then why aren’t some business owners trying to avoid immediate stereotypes or judgments? Why does this happen?  After much deliberation within myself I decided to come up with some guidelines that may help small business owners stand out from their competitors. Read More »

After a long and much needed vacation from thinking I have come back with a new view on running a small business. As a small business owner what do you do to find the time to not only take care of your clients but also your family? Over the past few months my experiences have provided some interesting results about some issues. Read More »

Not to long ago I was wondering around a few restaurants while my car was getting some work when I noticed something about the way corporate businesses are ran in this day and age. They miss out on the minor details, which means if you remember details people will notice. Details all the way down to how your bathroom looks and even the way you open the door. If you show any kind of sincereness to your customers you are already one step ahead of the game, but what details do you need to remember to please your customers? All of them! But here’s a few ideas for you to think about:

First idea, clean your workplace. If you care about your store so will other people. “Cleanliness is next to godliness!” Too many times I have walked into shops that have dusty counters and dusty items. If your items are dusty what does that tell your customer? It means no one is buying your product, which signals to everyone else that this is not a product worth buying. Read More »

The NASCAR race, Brickyard 400, went through a very rough time with numerous competition yellows due to tire issues. Why did this happen? Somebody wasn’t prepared, that somebody was GoodYear. However, NASCAR tried to counteract the problem by keeping the drivers safe by waving the Yellow Flag. They also held a press conference a day later to assure the fans that this will not happen again. When your tires are wearing down will you be prepared with “Plan B?” Read More »

To all those small business owners trying to get a little more attention here is a tip for you! Have you uploaded a video about your business lately? Or have tried to start a viral video about a product or service you have to offer? If you start to use video you are expanding your channels of visibility which is a huge plus, but there are many numerous reasons well beyond this topic.

A big plus is the social media optimization you get out of using video. After doing some consulting for some clients I have been able to get many of my clients onto the first page of Google within hours of submitting videos and content for them. Is this magic? To some extent it is know which buttons to push and realizing which keywords will help you reach that status. A good place to start is uploading video to YouTube. Read More »

The new Facebook profile was changed to help give a cleaner presentation and make it simpler for users. However, I feel that the new profile was built to aid the developers. Facebook has taken away “The Wall” and has replaced it with an improved news feed. Why they didn’t just improve the feed and keep “The Wall” we will never know. Read More »

At the very beginning of your new business you had to create a business plan to show off to the bank or investors to prove that you could maintain an income stream that would pay the bills. The question is have you kept your information up to date since then? I guess the real question is did you even create a business plan to begin with? When I first began in business this was probably my biggest challenge, which was keeping things organized and putting my business plan together. To help you I have devised a 5 step plan to helping you get on your way.

First step, brainstorm and map out all of your thoughts by using mind mapping software. A software called Free Mind works very well, but there is also MindMapper which also works well. Mind Mapping will open up your eyes to more opportunities and will allow you to move your thoughts around very easily. You can even set alarms of when you want to work on a particular item. As time progresses you can continue to branch off of your mind map. Read More »

As of recent I created a blog on Word Press which opened the doors to getting my blog tagged throughout the Social Media world. One of the largest sites that collects social media tags is Technorati. Time Magazine call it one of the “25 Sites We Can’t Live Without.” If you are a business blogger this is surely the truth. There are many ways to add this little tag to your site along with many other social tags.

The best tool to add to your blog is called “Share This” if you look at the bottom of this post you can see this icon that is active. Once you click on the icon you can share the post with whatever social media you would like. Not only can you share the post through social media you can also email it to your friends. Read More »

How many times have you stepped into an old “mom and pop” shops where the technology is outdated and they don’t even take credit cards? How many times have you worked for someone that is still doing inventory without a point of sale system? These are obvious examples of managers or business owners stuck in their own ways, but many managers are stuck in their old ways on many different accounts. Here are a few ideas on how to get out of your typical routine.

First Idea, checkout local seminars on what small businesses are doing to survive in your vicinity. Better yet go to a conference out of your area to see what other regions are doing to keep their competitive edge. Many corporations do the same for their employees to help them develop. This same concept should be considered for your business. Read More »

After numerous bank closings and watching the Fed cut rates down to 2.0% the signs of a recession are getting stronger. The market is hitting a five year low while oil prices continue to rise as the US dollar falls. So, what are you doing to keep the “Open” sign in front of your business? As a student in economics and being the frugal person I am here are some ideas on how to help your business cut cost on numerous fronts. Please be in mind that you want to cut fixed cost as low as possible while limiting the usage on anything that is a variable cost. This tip alone should help you save a few bucks.

First Tip, cut the power usage in your business! How do you do this? Start by installing fluorescent light bulbs in all light fixtures. Another way to cut electricity is turning up the thermostat during the summer or having it automated to fluctuate during certain periods of the day. If you own your own building look into getting a soy roof or a green roof. This should help the longevity of your roof and help reflect the light during the summer which will help your building stay cooler. With this in mind look into getting an awning for your front windows to help reflect the sun off the front of your store to help save some cost. Lastly, shut off the lights in rooms that are not being used frequently. This was always drilled into every child’s head while growing up. Read More »